Key Technical Points for Intensive Fattening of Meat Ducks

To shorten the rearing period of meat ducks, promote early marketing, increase the fatness of meat ducks, and make the meat tender and delicious, when the ducks have been raised to day 50-65, have a certain frame and muscle, and are at their fastest growth rate, intensive fattening should be implemented. During the fattening period, a “high-energy, low-protein” compound feed should be used.

(1) Self-feeding fattening. Mix the compound feed with water, let it stand for 3-4 hours until it ferments, then feed it. Feed 4 times a day, with 1 additional feeding at night, and provide water while feeding; after feeding, let the ducks go into the water to bathe. The duck house should be dimly lit, and the duck yard should be clean and sanitary with good ventilation.

(2) Pen-raising fattening. Use bamboo to divide the area into small pens, each holding 2-3 ducks. The area of each small pen must not be more than 2 times the size of the duck's body, and the height should be 45-55 cm, just enough for the ducks to stand. Place drinkers and feed troughs outside the pens so the ducks can stretch their heads out to eat and drink. The feed supply must be sufficient: feed 3 times during the day and 1 time at night.

(3) Force-feeding fattening. Mix the feed evenly with warm water, shape it into strips 1-5 cm long, and after it cools slightly, insert it by hand. At first, force-feed 3 times a day, 3-4 strips each time, then gradually increase to 5-6 times, 5-8 strips each time. After force-feeding, provide enough drinking water and give a 30-minute water bath each day to aid digestion.

The fattening period is generally 10-15 days. When the meat ducks reach a body weight of 2-3 kg, the subcutaneous fat feels thicker when touched by hand, and the bases of the wing feathers are transparent, they can be marketed.